Change of Fate
by MakBlaze6
Summary: FE13 Self Insert. Wonderful. Just WONDERFUL! I'm in YLISSE! YLISSE OF ALL PLACES! And if that wasn't bad enough, I've also been dropped into my own fanfiction. So now my name is Ravel, and I'm supposed to run a group of mercenaries. Let's just hope that it's more fun than it sounds. Rated T for violence and language.
1. From Better to Worse

_**I do not own Fire Emblem, but I own some of the characters of this fanfic.**_

* * *

Morning already? That felt short. Aaaaaand... I forgot my dream again. That stinks, usually my dreams are fu-

...

Where am I? This is not my room, and I know for certain that this isn't my bed. It's way to stiff to be mine.

Actually, this doesn't look like any room that I've ever been in. The structure of the house looks like it's made of wood, and this bed just looks like someone stuffed a bag with straw and dropped it on a wooden frame. It looks almost medieval-ish.

Perhaps this is a prank? But why? The only person who could really prank me like this would be my father, but not even he would bother to do this.

You know, maybe I will find out if I quit talking to myself and get out of this room.

It's either a prank, or someone remodeled my room... around me... while I was sleeping... No, that sounds too stupid to be true.

* * *

I now know for a fact this isn't my house, since mine doesn't have two floors.

Ah well, the faster I get down, the faster I can go home.

I take just a few steps, then-

"Ravel, come down for breakfast!"

What? Did he say what I think he just said? My name isn't Rave-

Wait a second, wait just a damn second.

Ravel is from that Fire Emblem fanfiction that I wrote. Sure, it was shabby, but why is my father calling me that?

Either I'm in Ylisse, or my father needs to stay away from my computer. I seriously hope that it's the latter.

Okay, I need to think for a second. HOLD ON!

I rush back upstairs and look into a mirror that is suspended on the wall.

Well, I still look like myself; red-ish brown hair, freckles, a bit pale, except that I'm older. No idea how much older, but I can tell that it's more than a couple of years. Well, this is going to be a pain.

Well, Ylisse it is. Why the hell did I have to be inserted into my own story?! I could have ended up in Southtown, for all I care! A bit unoriginal, sure, but at least I wouldn't be stuck in this mess!

"Ravel! Are you coming, or not?!" Strangely, he sounds identical to my father. Which is strange, if I'm inserted into Ylisse. Well, he's technically Ravel's father. Which obviously means that I'm either him or a sibling that I didn't know about. The latter is possible, since this already seems screwed up.

You know, maybe I'm still dreaming, perhaps I should slap myself.

It's worth a tr- OUCH! Okay, either this is the most realistic dream I've ever had, or this is real.

"Your food is getting cold!" 'Father' screams.

"I'm coming!" I scream back at him. He even acts like my father, only with more seriousness and less goofiness.

* * *

Ugh... So... Full...

That was only one plate of food. How the hell did that fill me up so fast? You know... maybe I should just go back upstairs and lay down.

I really need to rest for a-

"What do you think you're doing?" 'Father' asks. What? I'm fu- Wait, this isn't modern day, I can't just sit around and do whatever the hell I want. I hate you, reality.

* * *

So.. tiring.

I had to work out in a Blacksmith forge, which happens to be Ravel and his father's job. I regret giving Ravel a backstory, I should have just kept him as a dual-wielding warrior that did everything perfectly. But this? This is just exhausting.

This could be worse, perhaps I could start quoting things? I should just hope that this is over soon.

"You seem to have worked long enough. I'll give you a break, if you want." Well, THAT was generous, and out of character. What am I saying? I never designed a personality for this guy.

Hold on- There HAS to be a catch.

"But-"

Of course, that IS too good to be true.

"You will have to go to the market and buy some firewood for the furnace. I feel that you need to get out of the house a bit more, perhaps socialize with the townspeople." Translation: You have to stop working and do something boring. Eh, at least I will have something to look at. I mean, this can't be so bad- right?

* * *

Well, I shouldn't have said that. It turns out that it is in the middle of summer... DURING A DROUGHT. This wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that I have to stand out in the sun with NO SHADE. Quit laughing at me, reality.

That's not even mentioning the fact that I am crushed between multiple crowds of people. I'm not even sure whether or not there IS a line anymore, but I can only hope.

"Hey, you!" What? Why are you looking at me like that?

"I've been asking a lot of people this, but why do you think Plegia wants the Fire Emblem?" What? It's like the universe is saying 'I'm sorry' and is letting me take advantage of my knowledge. I could either give him hardly any information, and leave him still wondering, or I could reveal every possible bit of information.

I'm not sure why, but I feel like going for the second choice. Eh, it's worth a try.

"Maybe the Grimleal are trying to revive Grima."

"G-Grima?!" Now he's scared. Job complete! "N-no! They wouldn't do that!" Of course the cult that worships a giant dead dragon totally wouldn't work to revive said dragon. I wonder why they would do that? ... My sarcasm... MY DAMN SARCASM! Well, he's gone now.

* * *

Finally, this line has shortened! I don't know why people are so willing to get firewood, especially since there is a drought. I mean, if you wanted some warmth, you could just sit out in this drought for who-knows-how-long! I mean, I understand with the furnace, but this?! Did I mention that I can't stand heat? If I were forced to sit out in the heat with other people until one of us died, then I would be the first. I hope the Plegian desert isn't too bad, especially since I'm probably going to end up there, eventually.

"Next!" Who was that? Wait, the shopkeeper? Finally, I can get out of here.

I don't actually see any firewood, so I guess that he has it hidden somewhere. Forget it! I need to stop thinking so that I can go into a slightly cooler room.

"I'd like to buy some firewood please." I announce.

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but we are all out of that."

...

Is he joking? He had better be joking.

"Please don't joke with me, I'd like to buy some."

"I'm serious. I'm all out! The person before me brought the rest!"

What? No. No! NO! NO!

"YOU CAN'T BE OUT OF WOOD! YOU HAVE A DAMN CART MADE OUT OF WOOD!"

"Well I can't sell you my cart!"

"Oh yeah? Well you can sell me a PIECE of your cart! I have been waiting here for hours! And I am not going to have some moron tell me that he's out! I will rip out your throat and feed it to a pack of rabid wolves, if you don't give me some RIGHT NOW!"

Everyone around me is backing away now, not that I mind. I can get some well-deserved air. But did I seriously scare them that much? That is just idiotic.

"Fine! Fine! Take some wood! I just don't want any trouble!" With that, he rips a couple of planks from the cart, and tosses them into my reach.

Well, I got it free? I still have some gold to spare, too. As long as I have some time, that is.

Actually, why was he selling wood on a wooden cart, anyways. That just seems slightly weird, to me.

* * *

I walked around Ylisstol before finally turning home. There is literally no way of knowing where I am. I can safely assume that this is Ylisstol, but there are literally no signs and not a single person has mentioned the city name. Considering this is Fire Emblem, you'd expect things to be more organized.

I walk a few more steps, watching some nearby people cower in fear. Was I seriously that scary? I'm pretty sure a baby would do that if it was under the kind of pressure that I had to put up with.

WAIT... Go back! Was that an Anna? Huh. I could buy something from here. Maybe she has a Master Seal. I am level ten, aren't I? Then again, I can't even be sure that they work the same way that they do in the game. Ah well.

The things here seem like the usual, to me. Swords, spears, concoctions, etc. There is also, a... Is that Grima's Truth? Well, not that I can tell, I just vaguely remember the symbol on that thing. It looked like wings, I think. There is also a-

I don't know what that thing is, but it's moving. Maybe I can ask Anna what it is.

I walk towards her and-

Oof.

"Waugh!" I bump into some random person that is in the tent.

Great, now I'm falling. CRAP! I've sent the whole tent down on me!

Ugh... So.. Heavy...

"Hey!" a feminine voice yells "No thug ruins my shop and gets away with it!"

Huh? Was that Anna? I hope I didn't upset- WHAAAAA!

Lightning just struck the tent! Oh I hope she doesn't have a Levin Sword!

GAH! Another! Oh damn, she DOES!

The tent is pushed aside, revealing a not-at-all-happy Anna.

"Hey you!" She's walking towards me, "You were the one that knocked down the tent! Weren't you?!"

"Um..." I need a second to do a dramatic gulp.

"Was it?" Oh man, she looks pissed.

I hate to lie, but I'm gonna have to pass the blame to someone else. Let's see, nobody else here except... Wha?! Owain? I guess he was the one I bumped into. Let's see... What color is his hair? Wait, it's white. I guess this universe is going with RobinxLissa. Not that I mind, that's one of my favorite pairings.

Sorry Owain. I know you were my son in my first Awakening playthrough, but...

"It was him!" I scream.

"Oh really now?" she turns in his direction, Levin sword sword pointed.

Owain looks nervous now, and... He's glaring at me. I am turning into Severa, seriously. Why am I acting so differently?

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the Anna says to him. So she's actually believing me? I guess this Anna isn't the brightest one.

"I- I don- Er.. Uh.." He's stutters a bit as the nervous look returns to his face. You'd expect him to be more confident than this. Then again, Anna has probably hundreds of sisters, so I think that I would be afraid too.

"I... Uhhhh... RUN AWAY SWORD HAND!"

HAHA.. Did he really just say that? That's my son... Or, was.. in one of my playthroughs... I don't know.. This is confusing anyways.

Wait, they're gone already? They are a lot faster than I expected. Alright, where did I drop my gold?

Oh son of a-

Did Anna steal my gold? Crap. My father won't be too happy about this.

I pick up the wooden planks and walk away.

**Okay, so I rewrote this chapter due to some of the text issues that were present in the original. This is a lot better in that I added more of my personality and tried to make it more than a few events tied together. It's better than a bunch of periodical edits, though.**

**It isn't what I was originally planning to do, and I am still wondering whether this idea was good or bad. Basically it's a combination of an unfinished story, and a self insert. Trust me, the whole inspiration of doing a self insert... into my own fic was based Asleep by Gone2GroundEX. Seriously, read that story, it's way better than mine. Also, I need to be sure that I'm not making, well, myself a Mary-Sue. I obviously have changed my personality, (Not too much, actually) but I still need to be sure.**

**I'm still wondering if this was a hit or miss, so constructive criticism is wanted.**

**Every time someone doesn't review, an Owain gets chases by Anna. Don't let that happen, please review.**


	2. The Invasion

Why is it that Ylisstol has literally no navigation whatsoever? I've been walking in circles, or at least I think so, for a least a couple of hours.

It's already getting dark, and I'm pretty sure that if I don't hurry and get home, than I'll end up further screwing up this time-line.

I could ask around. I'm pretty sure lot's of people must know where the forge is.

Here comes someone now.

"Excuse me, do you know where the blacksmith forge is?"

"Uh, I-I-I d-d-d-"

Wait?! Where's he going?

"No! Don't run! I need help!"

…

I guess he must have been there when I yelled at that man earlier. I swear, I can have a short temper when I want to. But why would people be that scared? Did he think that I actually killed him or something?

You know what, I need to think for a minute. Where did I go when I was heading towards the square?

Let's see... I think the forge was on the other side of the square? What was it? North? South?

There's a sunset right now, and I'm pretty sure it was about midday when I left.

THAT TELLS ME NOTHING!

That's it! I'm just going to head back to the square and find the forge.

* * *

Finally... home...

"Ravel, where have you been?"

Oh crap! I'm discovered!

"All you had to do was to get some wood!"

Mission abort! ABORT!

"Instead, you ended up getting into a fight with some poor sap."

Okay, that was not ENTIRELY my fault. I was standing in the summer heat for hours. Anyone would have done that.

"What's gotten into you? You have been acting different ever since this morning."

Yeah, that's pretty self-explanatory. I'm not even actually Ravel.

Well, I got a very long lecture that involved my 'father' yelling about me for the same exact things for four hours. Eventually he got tired and just made me go to bed.

Thankfully, I won't have to worry about any punishment based on what's happening tonight. Since this is about the Chapter 7-8 mark in the story, Ylisstol is going to be invaded and Emmeryn is going to be captured.

Wait a minute... I hope that I'm still not a heavy sleeper. If I am, I'm dead. Literally, dead.

You know what, I'm not even going to worry. I'll just lie down, and wait for something to happen...

Man, so... sleepy...

* * *

This is bizarre.

I'm still in my room, except I'm floating over my bed, STARING at myself. The entire room looks black and white, except me.

Wait, is that a.. orb? In front of me?

I float over towards it and get a closer look.

...

It's strange, almost like a television being played on a crystal ball. I can see all sorts of things in there. I don't know what they are of, though.

I'll reach out to touch it, and-

WOOAAAAH!

So much... thoughts.. So many visions.. poured into my brain... What kind of dream is this?

I think I can make out a few things...

I see three people, I can't tell who the first is, but I see Chrom and the third... is that.. me...?

* * *

"Help! Get this madman away from me!" someone screams.

Okay, that's my signal. It's time to get up, and head towards the window.

But I can't stop thinking about that dream. What did it mean? Could it be a major what-if situation? Maybe the future?

There was that third person though. Whoever that was looked awfully familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.

I approach the closed window within my room and slowly open it.

Well aware of the arrows spiraling off in my direction, I almost instantly duck towards cover. I'm glad I have the foresight to not become a walking arrow quiver. The advantages of being in your own story.

Yep, the city is in flames. The once happy-looking street is now on fire, and the Plegian army looks like the usual: Soldiers, Myrmidons, Archers, etc.

Just close the window and slowly walk- or run, downstairs.

Okay, my story didn't do a justice on how empty this forge is. It looks like the entire place has been looted of most of the weapons, with a couple of them still sitting around. Right over there is a display case. But not just any display case, one that contains Ravel's great-grandfather's sword. Even though I created that plot point, it still sounds a bit Mary-Sue-ish to me. The case itself is in a lot worse shape than it was when I first saw it, so it must have been tampered with. Whoever did it though, they did a pretty terrible job at it. But I may be able to get it open.

I look around the room for a key, only to see it lying on the floor by the case. Really? The person who tampered with the case deserves the 'Idiot of the Month' award.

I put the key into the keyhole and open the case.

What is this sword called anyways? I had never got around to naming i-!

Ugh, my head... So.. Much.. Pain!

* * *

W-what happened? I'm still in the forge, but everything seems different. It seems, bigger.. to me.

Wait, I'm younger... I look like I'm five, actually.

That man over there... He looks like.. Wait, it's my 'father'. Not my real one, but the fake one. But he looks younger too.

Wait, is this a memory? I don't understand... Could this have something to do with that dream I had?

My 'father' is polishing the sword, and putting it in the display case.

"Papa!" Huh? I didn't say that.

"Yes, Ravel?"

"What is so special about that sword?" Okay, I didn't say that either, so I must not be in control.

"Well, this sword used to belong to your great-grandfather. It was very dear to him and it helped him through every battle. It's name," he paused for unnecessary dramatic effect, "is Draiotoll." That seems like a strange name for a sword.

"Papa, can I have that sword someday?" Ravel says.

"Of course you can, son." 'father' says, "It has been passed to every son in our family." Huh, so it's an heirloom.

Suddenly, a woman walks into the room, holding a plate of something.

"Mama!"

Suddenly Ravel is running across the room towards the woman.

"I baked some cookies for you, Ravel. Would you like some?"

"Yes, please!" Man, it's too bad that she is probably dead by this time, since she never really appears. She seems like a nice woman. Why is it showing me this anyways?

Ugh.. My head.. Pain...

* * *

I'm back in the forge, not that I ever left it. On the bright side, I now know the name of the sword: Draiotoll.

I still can't help but feel that the name is strange though. Ugh! Stop worrying about it, Alan! You have other things to do.

I pick up Draiotoll and go across the room to grab some armor. Well, there isn't actually much armor, so I just grab a suit that looks like a Myrmidon outfit. That is Ravel's class, isn't it? It doesn't matter.

I grab a sheath for my sword and approach the door.

"Okay, prepare to be badly overwhelmed." I tell myself. Yeah, I'm supposed to head out there and then get sent beat up by a portion of the army, but I'll just worry about it when it happens.

I kick down the door and then look at the men in front of me.

There appears to be the same classes of people, only there are lot's more. There HAS to be at least ten men.

"Oi, what're ya gonna do with that, boy?!" I hear a man taunt, "Poke me with that little stick?"

Yeah, that man is aggravating. I rush over to the man, who is a barbarian, in an attempt to stab him.

Wait, why am I on the ground? Did I seriously just trip? Great, I've become a male counterpart of Sumia just when I don't need it. Too bad I can't cook, or clean...

Okay, I'm lazy, I'll admit it.

The man simply laughs and walks away. Great, that wasn't supposed to happen.

"Dog pile!" I hear a man yell. Wait, why would he say- OH THE PAIN! GAAAHH!

There has to be at least five hundred pounds of men on me right now. Ugh, why does it hurt to think?

* * *

The men soon climb off of me, and I'm struggling to catch a breath. I would have grabbed my sword by then, if they hadn't completely disarmed me.

They're now crowded around me, each man looking menacingly at me.

"And what should we do with this runt?" one of the men, a soldier, asks.

"How about we just kill him?" another man replies.

They seemed to like this idea, since they were all cheering and laughing in a creepy sync.

After a few seconds of laughter, one of men had a different idea:

"Maybe we can send him to Plegia, and make him our slave!" a nearby archer suggests.

I'm going to go with this idea, since it seems to be the only one where I don't get killed.

Thankfully, the men like this, as they are all cheering much more loudly than before.

"We need to get him quiet first." the soldier declares. Seriously? I'm not even talking. Let alone making noise.

Well, it's too late, since one of them is grabbing a hammer.

This is going to hurt... badly.

* * *

**I felt that since my reviews were positive, (Well, I only had three,) that I would post Chapter 2 before putting this on hiatus.**

**As I said before, I probably won't update this until I get a different story out, but I may post a chapter from time-to-time.**

**I actually had to revise this chapter a bit to add some detail to my personality. **


	3. Imprisoned

**Yes, the hiatus is off. I was writing the prologue for my other story, but I ended up with writer's block. I have no idea how to have a fight scene in third person... That doesn't matter though, so just enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

My head... So sore...

"Waugh!"

I hit a stone floor with a thud, as a crowd of people gather around me.

I can probably assume that this is Plegia Castle, considering that this is the part where Gangrel chews me out because I'm named Ravel. I seriously think that this castle could use a better name, however.

"This is the pipsqueak that you were talking about, General Mustafa?" I hear Gangrel ask.

Mustafa was in command of that army? Man, I doubt he feels too good about this.

"Yes, my king." he reluctantly replies, "He attempted to assaulted one of our men, sir." Seriously, this guy seems against anything that Gangrel does.

But I can confirm my suspicion that I am in Plegia 'still needs a better name' Castle, so the universe hasn't changed this much.

"What is your name, boy?" Gangrel menacingly asked. Seriously, I'm surprised that I'm not scared out of my mind. It's almost like my entire personality is changing.

"It's Ravel." he then put on an exaggerated look of surprise on his face. Seriously, this guy is a jerk.

"Ravel, is it? Are you possibly a descendant of our ex-general Ravel?" he asked.

Well, this is just like in my fanfi- Ugh.. My head.. Again..

* * *

Is this another flashback? I'm at the forge, that I know for a fact is not possible. But really, why now? I understand with the Draiotoll thing, but what about now?

Across the room, a man walks into the room. Wait, he doesn't exactly look happy. Wait a second, WAIT JUST A SECOND!

"Ravel," he says, "I'm sorry."

This doesn't sound good. Not good at all.

"No..." a voice that sounds like mine, though it isn't, says, "This can't be!"

'I' rush into the room only to see a woman lying on a bed. There are of a couple of men by the bed, but their heads are down in sorrow.

Wait just a second! It's my- er... Ravel's mother. It she... dead...?

Suddenly I hear a loud sob from next to me. Though technically, that is me.

"Mother!" 'Ravel' lets out another sob, before bursting into hysterics. Crap, I'm actually feeling upset. But why? I've never even met Ravel's mother, and barely even knew about her until that flashback.

I... Ugh.. I think I'm going to cry now. No, Alan. FIGHT IT!

Just- Oh come on... here comes the pain again.

* * *

I'm still in the castle, and it appears that nothing had actually happened during the flashback. Wait a second, I take that back. There is a large puddle of tears on the ground. I just hope that they did not just see me cry that whole time.

"Are you done with your crying? I believe that you were supposed to answer!" Gangrel screams. Great, a bunch of men just watched me cry. I hate you so much, reality.

"I.. I am named after him." I finally respond.

"Well that alone gives me the right to torture you; cut off each of your limbs piece by piece. The general was a traitor. He thought he could rule Plegia. He was wrong." Gangrel responds sourly. It's going to be all bark, almost no bite. But that doesn't change the fact that his information was obviously told differently.

Gangrel pulls out a dagger and points it in my direction. Wait, WHAT?! I can't believe that I forgot about the scar that Gangrel gives me!

"Do you know what I plan to do with this, Ravel?" he asks me. Don't do it...

"Uh.. No..?"

"I plan," he growled, "to do just as I promised: cut you up, piece by piece. Let you live feel the pain that your 'saint' of a grandfather caused to my kin!"

Before I can try to do anything, Gangrel swipes the dagger across my face, leaving a scratch. Okay, it isn't that deep, so it probably won't scar... Or at least I hope it won't.

No! No! No! Don't even think that! Last time you did you ended up sitting in the sun for five hours!

"Sir!" a nearby soldier yells, "I have grave news!" Gangrel turns around, not satisfied with the man's words.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Gangrel screams.

"Sir.. The Shepherds... They.." the soldier gasped.

"Spit it out you fool!"

"Our scouts have reported that the Shepherds have invaded Plegia. Their intention is to take back the Exalt. Another force has also broken into the prison and taken the Pegasus Knights." the soldier explains, finally catching a breath. Wait, the Pegasus knights?! They were supposed to help ME escape from the prison!

"Gah, fine! We'll just have to give them the welcome they deserve." Gangrel replies sourly. "As for you," he points to me, "I'll just throw you into the prison with the other criminals and traitors of Plegia!" NO! NO! NO! NO! This isn't right!

* * *

After being sentenced to going to prison, I am then dragged, literally DRAGGED, across the Plegian desert. The whole trip involved me being laughed at by multiple villages while getting sand down my pants.

Eventually we arrive at the prison, where I am forced to change into nothing but rags, and I am escorted down to the prison halls.

As I'm walking down the hall, I see the the different people in the cells. It's pretty disturbing, actually. There's children, men, women, I swear that I also saw some wyverns in there. And I'm not even going to describe what else was in those cages.

We approach the end of the hall, and one of the guards approaches the door of the cell. He opens it and yells into the cell.

"Jafray, you have a new cellmate!" he screams.

The men then proceed to throw me head-first into the cell, and I hit the floor. They immediately close the door behind me, and walk away.

This cell is actually pretty disgusting. What is that smell anyways?

Wait, I'm still on the ground. I may as well wait to be helped up.

Let's see...

Three.

Two.

One.

"You need a hand?" I hear a voice ask.

There's Jafray, right on cue. I grab his hand, and am pulled up in a fashion that strangely reminds me of Robin and Chrom..

"The name's Jafray." he says. "What's yours?"

"Ravel." I reply. You know, I COULD have gone by my real name at this point, but I've gotten used to being called Ravel by this point.

"Ravel? That's a weird name."

"I'm pretty sure that Jafray is weirder." I smugly reply. True. But then again, I thought of the name. Wait a second, what is that supposed to mean?

"Suuuure it is."

"So, how'd you end up here?" he asks, "Me and my sister used to be thieves, but then we were caught by some smug little merchant. She then put us up for ransom, and we were soon arrested.

I have a feeling that it was an Anna, but it could have been anyone.

"My hometown was invaded by brigands, and I was captured." I know how much detail I left out, but I don't feel like explaining it all.

"Sheesh, I didn't think that these crimes were worth getting executed over." Jafray complains.

I think I have an idea why. Perhaps since Emmeryn was captured in this timeline, Gangrel went crazy and decided to execute all of the prisoners. I mean, according to my story, I AM in the original timeline. Or, at least I SHOULD be.

Wait, Jafray is ASLEEP? That happened a bit suddenly...

Why.. Am.. I sleepy... so suddenly...

Here.. I.. go...

* * *

Great, I'm back in 'Monochrome land'. I'm still in the cell, only I'm floating. I have an obvious feeling that this has something to do with that dream from the other night. I still haven't figured out what that dream even meant, and it wouldn't help to have more hard-to-understand visions shoved into my brain.

"Ah hello there, Alan."

What? Who said that?

I turn around and see some guy in a white robe.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"You may call me Jeremiah." he says. This is strange, just strange.

Maybe I can ask him why I'm here. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Why am I here?" I ask.

"It's a long story," he says, "but I doubt I may have the time to tell you.

Time? I'm in prison. OF COURSE I HAVE TIME!

"It's a bit of a lengthy explanation, but-" Huh? HE'S GONE! Where did he go?

He was here one second, and-

* * *

What? I'm awake already?! How is that possible?!

"General Mustafa, sir!" the cell guard yells.

* * *

**Okay, some major things happen in this chapter, that are going to be important later on.**

**Namely, the flashbacks and dream sequences.**

**Plus, cliffhanger! Well, it isn't that exciting of a cliffhanger, (to me, that is) but that isn't too important. This chapter was a bit short compared to the other two, but I'll probably have a bit over 2,000 words by the next chapter.**

**PS: I tend to abuse the ... in my stories. **

**I could gladly use constructive criticism, so review and possibly follow and/or favorite.**


	4. Jailbreak

**Let me add, that I need reviews... badly. Seriously, where is everyone? I want to know if anything needs to change.**

* * *

What is he doing here?

Apparently Jafray woke up as well, and is getting up.

Mustafa turned towards the guard with a stern, yet somehow kind look on his face.

"Your shift is over." he said to him, "Please allow me to guard this cell."

What is he doing? Seriously, what IS he doing?

"Yes, and thank you, general." the guard says.

Mustafa just waits there for a few seconds, before finally turning towards us.

"Ravel, is it?" he asks, "I have come down here to speak with you."

Wait a second, please don't tell me that he is going to pull out the torture device. Sure, that would be out of character, but things are welcome to change.

"Yes sir." I respond. I wouldn't have minded him coming later, if it meant finishing my conversation with... Jeremiah? That name sounds a bit familiar.

He looks around both directions before pulling out a key.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Jafray asks. My thoughts exactly, what IS he doing?

"I-I'm here to help you escape." he says. "I had heard stories about your grandfather, but I don't see a reason to blame it on you." He smiles before continuing. "You remind me of my son." I do? Huh, what a coincidence. Wait a second, didn't he say that Henry reminded him of his son? Maybe he meant that he was LIKE a son to him- Forget it, I have one more thing to say.

"Thank you, sir. But can you let out my friend and his sister too?" I ask, "They are innocent as well." I doubt they are really innocent, but they have to escape for story purposes.

He pauses for a few seconds, before submitting to my question.

"I suppose, but we will have to be careful." With that, he puts the key into the keyhole and unlocks the cage.

Well, it looks like the universe is finally starting to change things in my favo- "JAFRAY?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

As soon as the door opened, Jafray had immediately jumped up and tackled him to the ground. Is Mustafa even armed? If not, why the hell isn't he?

"It's a trap, Ravel!" Jafray yells. He begins to put Mustafa in an arm lock before finishing. "He's trying to trick you into putting your guard down. Then he's gonna stab you in the back." That would be a valid point... with any other man, but obviously Mustafa is different... I hope.

I jump up and run outside of the cell, jumping on top of him in hopes of calming him down.

"He's not going to hurt us, Jafray!" I do a scream-whisper. "If we are going to be executed tomorrow, than why would he go down here just to kill us? Why would he even bother? I know he is here to help. Just trust me."

Apparently that shut him up, sense he is starting to climb off of him. Good, we can finally get out of this dump.

"Please forgive him, sir." I say to Mustafa. "He can be a little... stiff." I turn around to see Jafray glaring at me. Yeah, I said stiff. What're you gonna do to me?

Mustafa seemed to not even think much about it, which is a bit strange. Seriously, he has to be the most patient person that I have ever met.

He went down the hall for a bit, with us in tow, until being interrupted by Jafray.

"She's in this cell, sir!"

Oh yeah, his sister, Calina. Who Ravel happens to marry- and have a future child with. Oh crap. I didn't think this through. I'm going to hope, JUST HOPE, that the universe has changed this too.

Mustafa then unlocks the cage, which sends Jafray running into the cell.

"Calina? Are you okay?" I hear him ask.

"Geez, don't worry, I'm fine!" I hear a female voice respond. Yup, that's her alright.

* * *

After overhearing a surprisingly long conversation in there, which soon evolved into an argument, they eventually climb out of the cell. I actually haven't been able to see either of them too well, but I assume that he has black hair and she has blonde hair. They should, unless the universe is screwing things up some more.

"Who are you?" she turns towards me. "Are you with the Plegian army?" she asks.

"Yes, I'm the mad king Gangrel." I use my terrible sarcasm. "No, I'm not with the Plegian army. I was a prisoner with your brother."

"And he's letting us go?" she points to Mustafa. As long as she isn't going to tackle him, I'm perfectly fine with this.

I nod, before leading us towards an exit. Wait, we are forgetting something.

"Wait a second, don't we need our belongings?" I ask him.

By the look on his face, I can assume that he gave himself a mind facepalm, but he seems to not care too much. I guess the most patient man in Ylisse is starting to lose his patience. I can actually assume that Emmeryn is more patient, but that's just pure assumption.

"Alright, but we will need to hide your things until we get out." With that, he leads us further down the halls.

* * *

"So, you and your brother were both thieves?" I ask Calina. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not jumping up-and-down at the thought of shipping myself with her, I'm just trying to get to know her, even if I kind of already do. Seriously, I ask a lot of questions. Actually, I think that I annoy people with my large amount of questions. Maybe that explains my lack of friends.

"We're almost to the supply room." Mustafa announces. "We're lucky to have not run into any other men." I was questioning that myself. Where is everyone? You would expect people to actually GUARD their prisons in case someone escapes. Wait a minute, we're in a desert. Where the hell would they go if they escaped? My fanfiction logic seems to not exist. I mean, a firewood merchant, on a wood cart? I don't even know who would think that is a good idea. Er, a SMART idea.

"About time. I can finally get my stuff and get away from this dump." I hear Jafray say.

"You said it, I feel like I've been locked in here forever." obviously Calina.

I'm glad that we are getting out of here, we can go do something that is actually useful. It's as if this prison break is taking far longer than it should. Actually, every prison break that I have ever imagined involved spotlights, dogs, and gunshot. That explains the lack of excitement.

* * *

Getting there actually took longer than it was supposed to, since we ended up seeing a guard and had to detour across the other side of the prison. Unfortunately, this happens to be the side of the prison where hygiene doesn't exist, not that it did on the side that we were on before. I thought that our cell was filthy, but I ended up stepping in something... and I have no idea what it was, though it's burning my foot. Wait a second, it's burning my foot. OWOWOWOW! That is actually hurting a lot less than before.

"What's wrong?" I hear Calina ask. "You look like you're in pain."

"Look? You can't even see my fa-"

"I can read people." Okay, Stahl. Maybe I should join the Shepherds and ship these two. Hell, the universe might not actually be against that idea.

She eventually pulls out a small vial, and hands it to me.

"What is thi-"

"Vulnerary." That explains it, but quit interrupting me. Not that she'll actually hear my thoughts.

_I can hear your thoughts. _What the hell? Who said that? Please don't tell me that she can actually read my mind.

_It's me, Jeremiah. Don't you remember me? _Oh, it's you. Are you the person who sent me here?

_Yes. Oh, and watch ou- _Oof!

Why am I on the ground? Wait a second, I hit a wall, didn't I?

_Yes, yes you did. _Just shut up, you can go talk to me when I'm asleep.

"You need some help?" Jafray asks. Finally, I can hear someone who isn't Jeremiah.

I reach for his hand- again, and he helps me up.

"Why did you fall anyways?" he asks.

"Oh, I just tripped." I lie. Actually, I do tend to act like Sumia- without the protective nature, looks, Pegasus, or ability to clean and cook. I don't have a lot of self-confidence, either, but I'm not as bad as her.

"Once again, we are almost at the supply room." Mustafa announces... again.

The pain is starting to wear off, but I may as well go ahead and take the Vulnerary anyways.

Let's see... Let me take off the cap and- OH DAMN THAT IS STRONG!

I hope this doesn't taste that bad... Just one sip.

You know, this isn't that- PPFFFFFTTTTT!

THAT IS THE WORST AFTERTASTE EVER!

Wait a second, Calina was in front of me, wasn't she?

"Ugh, Ravel! Why the hell did you do that?!" she says.

"Sorry, never actually had one of these before." I respond. I swear that the Vulnerary is making my tongue swell.

"Fine, I'm okay with it- this time." she glares at me. What? I probably won't do it again. If I do, I'll make sure to turn towards Jafray.

I'm trying to say 'I won't do it again." but the only thing coming out is a bunch of unknown noises. Wait a second, my tongue is swollen, isn't it? Perfect.

We walk into the supply room, not seeing any soldiers. It is actually pretty bright in here, compared to the other part of the prison.

"The prisoners' supplies should be in here." Mustafa says.

All three of us walk up to the chest and begin to dig into it.

Let's see-

Here's my Myrmidon cloak,

Also a sheath.

And most importantly, Draiotoll.

All Jafray and Calina had brought were their thief cloaks and weapons. Except Calina, she has some sort of pendent.

"Huh, that's a cool sword, Ravel." Jafray says.

I end up making a bunch of strange noises. I guess I must be allergic to Vulneraries, which is going to be a pain later on.

"Sorry, I guess that Vulnerary was rotten." Calina says. "Then again, I did find it in the prison cell- Ooooooh. Maybe that wasn't a good idea. Here, I have one that isn't expired."

First off, Vulneraries can rot? Second off, that was a terrible idea. I may as well take this next one, if It stops the swelling.

Alright, I take the cap off, and- Okay, that isn't as strong as the first, but it is still pretty strong.

Just one little sip, and...

That isn't actually too bad, but it doesn't taste good either.

Wow, I can feel my tongue shrinking already. This stuff is great!

"General!" Who was that?

Turn around, and- great, we're busted.

"What are you doing? Why are you setting these prisoners free?" a soldier asks. If you want to know why, it's because we're important. You are just a red unit. We are- Actually, aren't we technically green units?

"Simon, I know that Gangrel, would be against this, but I feel that they did nothing wrong." I hope this works. I really really really really REALLY hope that this works.

"I... Why would I tell him, general? You have done no wrongs." the man responds.

"That's a good boy." Mustafa says. "Now go, prepare for battle. I shall be there soon." Wow, he must treat his men well.

Alright, let's hope we are about to go. Wait, my tongue is no longer swollen. That's a relief.

"So, will we be leaving soon?" I ask. Yeah, I can be impatient, sometimes.

"Yeah, I'm starting to smell, I'll be more than glad to leave." Jafray added. Actually, they have both already put on their thief cloaks, so what am I waiting for?

Ugh, I'm just going to have to put my myrmidon outfit over these rags, so I guess I'll have to take them off later.

Huh? They are gone already?! Why don't they wait up?!

* * *

I can actually run DISTANCES, now. I could run fast before, though with very low stamina. My stamina seems to have increased, but not too much. I may as well assume that my HP growths are going to be low- Am I seriously asking about my own stats? Maybe I should ask Jeremiah later.

Ah, there they are! I was waiting to catch up to-

"Can't you come with us, Mustafa?" Yeah, Calina is begging. I can tell by her tone of voice.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot." he responds. "Gangrel would murder my wife and child to set an example." Funny, I could have sworn that he said that EXACT thing in chapter ten. Wait, he did. "There is a stable nearby the prison. Get some horses from over there, and then follow the trail out of the desert. For now, I bid goodbye." Sniff... Wait, am I crying? I never cry. Well, I guess that USED to be true.

"Well, c'mon guys." I tell Jafray and Calina.

"Alright, then." they say that at the same time. Creepy.

The entrance- or, exit to the prison it right up ahead.

Finally, I'm free! OWOWOWOW! MY EYES ARE KILLING ME! That sun is BRIGHT, even if it is the sun!

Finally, I'm starting to adjust.

"Who are you?" I hear a familiar voice ask.

Huh? Oh, hello there, Lucina. Wait, Lucina? Hold on a second.

... We're on top of a cliff, obviously, but the scenery here looks familiar.

Wait a second, this is the Chapter 9 battlefield. Ooooh. THAT'S why Lucina- er, 'Marth' is here.

"I said, who are you?" she asks. I turn towards her, giving the most obvious hint ever that she is supposed to recognize me. Yeah, remember that future child I mentioned? If the universe hasn't wiped him/her from existence, then Lucina should recognize me. If not- Well, I'm not going to think about that.

Yeah, I can tell by the look on her face that she gets it, but I just want to watch the battle, for now.

"Why don't you hurry up, Ravel?" Jafray asks. "I thought you wanted to leave." Ugh, be patient, I'm watching the battle.

Lucina has stopped paying attention to us, and just instead walked away. I'll explain the future child thing when it happens, alright?

Also...

"I'm watching this battle, okay? Is there anything bad about that?"

He shuts up, again. I thought that he would be able to make a few comebacks, but perhaps he's decided to watch as well.

Unlike the game, there are A LOT more enemies, and all of the Shepherds are in battle.

I may as well assume the pairings, based on who is paired up with whom.

Let's see... I see Chrom and Sumia, not surprising at all. I also see Robin and Lissa, which I don't mind at all.

Nobody else really sticks out, actually.

"Those the Shepherds?" Calina asks.

"Yeah, they're all pretty good at battle, good against numbers." I respond.

I can see Tharja mixed in with the Plegian soldiers, and Libra is busy fighting off some other men. Wait a second- Who is THAT? There seems to be a Pegasus rider flying near Libra, and it isn't Cordelia or Sumia, by the looks of it. I'm tempted to take a closer look, but I don't think I can find a way down, from here.

I could go run over to Emmeryn and save her, like the original Mary-Sue beta Ravel did. Did I mention that his name used to be Razel? Yeah, I did that because the spell check got aggravating, and Ravel doesn't count as an error. I should have just ignored it, but Ravel has grown on me, and not just because I now go by that name.

Well, watch and do nothing, it is.

* * *

Hell, this has been going on forever. Calina and Jafray have both fallen asleep, and I think that I see some storm clouds rolling in.

If Divine Decree wasn't supposed to play here, than I would call that a successful pun.

_That was terrible, not successful. _Seriously, Jeremiah? I told you to stop bothering me. Also, I'm aware that my jokes are terrible.

_Fine, I was just trying to help. _I just hope that you aren't going to be doing this a lot.

WAIT! WAIT! I ALMOST FORGOT!

_What is it? _I want you to tell me my stats, or growths, or anything.

_Fine, I'll go ahead then. _Good, then.

_Your Attack and Speed are actually pretty decent, with your Defense, Magic, and Skill being average. As for your HP and Resistance, they are terrible._

Hold on, my magic is AVERAGE? My magic should be low, since I don't use it. I mean, I'm a myrmidon.

_Tell that to the universe. Goodbye. _Hey, this isn't over! WAIT!

Well, at least I got the answer. The Shepherds have already recruited Tharja and Libra, and seem to be discussing further battle plans, or something else. I can't hear from all of the way up here.

And- There goes that Pegasus Knight, straight towards the general. Who the hell is she? I can't get a good view from up here, so I can't tell what she looks like. I just see a sort of blonde-ish hair.

Whoa. Did she just strike him down in one hit? Just... Wow. That is one overpowered unit. I can safely assume that she just joined them, as well.

Auuuuuunnnnnd, I can barely see Gangrel throwing a childish tantrum.

Serves him right.

...

Wait a second- he's laughing.

No idea how to react to that.

Wait, is this when-

Here come the Pegasus Knights, so that answers it.

Whelp, this isn't going to end well.

Gah, there goes Phila.

And the other two Pegasus knights...

That other Pegasus Knight seems to be prepared to fly out, but I'm not sure if she is going to go through with it.

No, she isn't. Shame, I was hoping that someone would interfere. If she did, it hopefully wouldn't turn out too bad.

"No, wait!" ... Emmeryn?

"SILENCE!" Okay, that was Gangrel, I can tell. I'm surprised that I can hear them from all of the way over here.

"King Gangrel, is there no hope that you will listen to reason?" Of course not, he's mad.

...

No, something tells me that I shouldn't be joking around right now. Just be respectful... Just try.

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?! I think not." Gangrel replies. "No, all I want to hear is the THUNK of the arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people... Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That it... Unless you want to give me the Emblem... NOW!" Just shut up. I'm growing tired of your voice. It's weird that these words are stirring my emotions, especially since I have heard these words so much. (Yeah, I've played through Awakening more than a couple of times)

As for Emmeryn, she's stopped talking, which I'm going to guess means that she is about to jump.

"ALL RIGHT!" Uh-oh... "All right... Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision." Don't do it, Chrom. "MAYBE someday we'll face a crisis where MAYBE the Emblem would have helped... But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their exalt... And we need our sister. If those dark days will come, we'll face them together." ...

"Chrom," Emmeryn is starting to cry, and I swear that I'm starting to tear up as well. "Th-thank you. I know now what I must do..."

Don't do it Emm...

"Emm, what are you-"

"Plegians, I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

"Emm, no! No!" Don't do it. Don't do it.

Agh, there goes Chrom. Obviously the Risen archers aren't doing anything. It's almost like they know what's happening. They arguably do, to some extent.

Emmeryn is raising her hand, and-

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A large gasp from literally everyone, myself included. So much for no reaction, Emm-

Ugh... Is my head seriously... bothering me again...?

* * *

Seriously? Just, seriously?!

Jeremiah, why do I keep having these visions...

...

Jeremiah...?

...

What, NOW you don't answer me?! Ugh, you are simply aggravating.

So... What's going on here?

I'm back at the forge... I guess. Obviously this is another memory. I fail to understand why I am having these, even though the answer is probably right in front of me. Once again, Jeremiah will probably not tell me until I'm asleep. I do understand the logic as to why, but can he ONLY do it when I'm asleep.

Huh, there's father.

"I'm sorry about your mother, Ravel." No... DON'T SPEAK HER NAME!

... Seriously? Just- Seriously? If that was supposed to be a pun, than that wasn't funny.

"I- I miss her, Father." This is like torture. I don't know why so many emotions are stirring up in me, but I just want it to stop. This is just a pain.

Do I hear cheering? A bit ironic, is it not? Ah, well.

"Hm? Is that the Exalt?" Oh, THAT makes sense. So I go from having completely unrelated visions to visions that make sense?

I... You know what? I am tired of thinking. Perhaps I should just stop thinking for a bit.

We approach the outside of the forge to see- almost conveniently- Emmeryn walking along the road. Actually, I don't see any guards next to her either. Which is bit... risky. Then again, I assume that the crime rates in Ylisstol are a bit low, so perhaps it is fine? I don't know. I don't care.

She approaches the front of the forge and- ERMAGHERD YER NEVR GONR BELIEVE THIS- She turns towards us. ... Forgive me for that.

"I have heard about your wife's death." she says. "I am deeply sorry for your loss." What? How did she find that out?

"Me and my son... We're just sad about it... It just doesn't feel as lively without Gladys around." 'Father' says. Gladys, huh?

"Well, if it helps you, I brought a small gift from the Ylisstol vault." she pulls out a gold bar- WHAT? GOLD?! AKSIFUHFUDBVUSHFUAHEF-

"Emm, what's going on?!" That voice... Chrom...?

Indeed it is him. He rushes towards Emmeryn, out of breath. Running, I assume.

"Emm... Who are these people?" Chrom asks. "The hierarchic doesn't advise that you leave the palace unattended."

"Chrom, I do not mean to worry you." Emmeryn smiles. That HAS to be the most sincere face that I have ever seen. "I was simply paying my respects to this man's wife. This man's name is Eustace." Okay, he isn't my father. That is NOT my father's name. Well, he TECHNICALLY is my father, but he isn't.

Ugh, the thoughts of universal travel is giving me a headache.

"And what is his name?" Chrom points to me.

"It's Ravel." I announce. This doesn't really sound like my current self, but then again, this is a flashback, that would explain it.

"Huh. Ravel. That name sounds a bit familiar. Well, I'll be sure to remember you, Ravel." Why is he leaving so soo-

Ugh, just UGH! This flashback is starting to end. Why does my head have to hurt every time.

* * *

Ugh... Morning already...? Ugh, I'm starting to get wet. It's raining, isn't it?

"Good morning sleepyhead." Jafray laughs. SHADDAP! I'm not in the mood.

"What happened while I was out?"

"Out?" he asks. "You weren't knocked out for ten seconds." ... Really?

"Yeah." Calina pipes up. "We both woke up to a scream, and when we got up, you were sound asleep." Really? Just... REALLY?

"So, should we get going, or what? I don't want to get struck by lightning or anything." Jafray adds.

"Sounds good to me." I respond. "The sooner we leave, the faster something good will happen." Maybe we will end up forming a mercenary group that travels the world. Eh, happened in my story, why can't it happen here?

* * *

**A/N: FINALLY COMPLETED IT!**

**This chapter just felt far too long to me. Then again, it is the longest chapter as of right now. (4K words... Wow.) Not even mentioned how bored I was at around the first and last parts of it. Don't worry though, the other chapters will be a bit more fun from here. (Less pacing, a bit more character development.)**

**Oh, and for those who didn't check yet, I rewrote Chapter 1. Far better than it was before.**


	5. What Could Go Wrong?

"Are we there yet?" I ask.

"No." Jafray responds.

We have been riding for HOURS in this desert. Wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so vulnerable to heat. I burn easily.

There was one time that I stayed in the sun for a few hours and then had my face burn to a crisp. I'm not exaggerating, either. I'm pretty sure that I have seen bacon that was less crispy then my face.

"Can I at least borrow a cloth or something? I don't want to look like a piece of bacon." Ugh, I'm probably already starting to get burned.

"Bacon?" What is he-

"Do you call it that?" Calina asks. "We just call it fried pork." ... Well now I feel like an idiot. Not the first time, of course.

"You know what? Just give me that cloth." I ask again.

"Fine, here. Just don't annoy me any more." Jafray tosses me a leather cloth.

Eh, I may as well tie this around my face, and-

That's a lot better. Now I just have to wait for a few hours. Or minutes, I hope that the another storm passes by.

* * *

Ugh, how much longer do I have to wait? Even if I'm riding on a horse, this is just aggravating.

It's a good thing that I'm not burnt, though. That was the worst week of my life.

_Looks like you need someone to talk to. _Eh, that wouldn't hurt about now. So, can you perhaps help us here?

_Maybe- Maybe not. That depends on what you would do for it. _Just warp us a mile ahead, or create a rain cloud or something.

_You know what- I will. If you say please. _Fine. Please.

_Excuse me, I couldn't hear you. Perhaps you should actually speak. _What? Then I'll look like an idiot.

_Oh well, I guess I may as well let you burn. _NO! NO! I DON'T WANT TO BURN!

"Please...?" Jafray and Calina both turn towards me, with the most confused look that I have arguably ever seen.

Did I ever tell you that you are aggravating? You are seriously worse than my sister. And THAT'S saying something.

_And I'm proud of it. _

"Why did you just say 'Please?' Don't tell me that you talk to yourself." Jafray asks. Great, Jeremiah. Look what you've gotten me into.

"I- uh..." What to do... What to do... "I saw a random sign that said please."

Please let it work- Please let it work-!

"Eh, I didn't see it, but this isn't worth an argument." Calina says. About time she said something, she has been silent for almost this entire ride.

Also, why don't you make it rain already? I went through with my end of the deal.

_Fine, but you don't have to be grouchy about it. _Good, now I can take this cloth off of my face.

_And let there be rain._

Suddenly some rain clouds form off in the distance, signalling that Jeremiah isn't a liar. At least, I hope he isn't.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Jafray yells into the sky.

"Why ask? Just enjoy!" Calina hops off of her horse and runs a few feet into the desert.

... Why not?

I hop off of the horse as well, and join her.

"C'mon Jafray! I know that you want to have some fun!" she screams.

He opens and closes his mouth in protest a couple of times, but eventually gives up. Once again, I'm surprised that he isn't even arguing.

Within a few seconds, a downpour of rain spreads across the desert, turning the once sandy wasteland into an oasis- without the plants.

You know what? I don't see how this can go wrong.

I jump into the wet is-now-mud-and-not-sand and make a mud angel.

"Maturity? I don't need it." I yell out into the sky. Good, I'm finally starting to sound like myself again.

"Mud angel, huh? I may as well join in as well." she hops across from where I am, and falls onto the ground. Jafray does the same.

... Why am I doing this, again? And since when are there angels in Ylisse? It was that plothole that kept me from making that Kid Icarus crossover. Perhaps I should continue that, if I ever get home.

Something feels a little funny here. It's almost like-

PAIN!PAIN! OWOWOWOWOWOWOW! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?

MY EARS ARE RINGING TOO!

Jafray and Calina have jumped up and are trying to say something, but I can't hear them.

Why do they look so scared? It's only a- OHMYGOSHMYARM! MY ARM IS FUCKING SCORCHED!

I think... I think I'm gonna... Faint...

* * *

Ugh, what happened?

"Aww... Hello sleepyhead." Jafray..? I'm alive? I look around for a bit. I'm laying in a bed, one of much higher quality than before, and Jaf and Cal are sitting in chairs in front of me.

"What happened..?" My right ear is still ringing, but I can barely hear out of my other.

"Why don't you look at your arm, and then put two and two together." Calina points to my arm.

"My arm? I don't see why that would- WHAT THE HELL!?" My arm... is BLACK! SCORCHED BLACK! "WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"Well, we are pretty sure that you were nearly struck by lightning." Jafray says. "Actually, you WERE, but it wasn't direct." ... How did that happen when I was lying in the mud?

...

...

Jeremiah.

WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!

_Is THAT what that did? I had no idea, sorry. _Sorry? SORRY? SORRY?! I could have DIED! I'm surprised that I haven't lost my arm, but that doesn't excuse it!

_I'm sorry, I- _Forget you, I'm not listening to you anymore.

"So," I ask. "How did you heal my arm up anyways?"

"It took a bit of work." Calina says. "We had to soak your arm in all of the Elixirs that Mustafa gave us."

"Yeah, thanks Ravel." Jafray glares at me.

Seriously? Just, seriously?

"Hold on, we aren't in the desert anymore. Are we in an inn?" I ask them.

"Oh, I completely forgot!" Calina beams up. "We had to carry you to town after we healed you up, and then me and Jafray started talking."

"... About what..?" Pleaseletitbeamercenarygroup. Please let it be.

"Well," she pauses, "We started talking about what we will do now that we were free. At first, he considered going back to thievery. But I made him change his mind."

"Basically, saw a group of brigands off in the distance. She said she wished that she was able to fight them. Of course, we don't have enough people. That's what gave her the idea."

"What is it?" PLEASE LET IT BE MERCENARY-DOM! PLEASE!

"A traveling parade." ...What?

No.

Just no.

That doesn't even make sense.

Let alone involve fighting.

I facepalm myself.

...

"You actually believed that?" Calina giggled.

"Nah, we decided to form a mercenary band." Jafray leans back in his chair.

"YES!" I scream. Wait, why did I just do that? It's not like I didn't know it would happen. Eh, maybe it's because I'll meet some new people. I did mention that there were other OC's, didn't I? Eh, of course I didn't.

"Your arm seems to have gotten better, which is good." Calina adds. "We are hiring some other members tonight at the inn."

* * *

It's about midday, so I have plenty of time to spare. Obviously, I've had to cover up my arm with a cloth, to keep from showing the scorch marks. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine.

I walk outside the inn, with Jafray and Calina eating breakfast in there.

The town itself isn't too big. Only has a bar, (Or saloon, if you feel like calling it that,) a few houses, multiple shops, homes, and a square with a few other merchant stands. Not too big compared to Ylisstol or the Plegian capital, which Jafray told me was called Orneir. Weird name, but it could be weirder.

Huh? An Anna shop. Er, mart? Who cares, I'm gonna look.

Open the tent- and...

Wow, it's pretty roomy in here. A lot more than the previous one.

Let's see what they have...

I think that's the Book of Naga.

A handful of Master Seals and Second seals. Still no idea how they work.

And there's also a-

"Wait a minute!"

Oh don't tell me.

"You are the one that knocked down my tent that time!" the Anna says from the other side of the tent.

How did she find out? I thought I blamed it on Owain.

"You aren't fooling anyone. Pay up, or I'll have to pay for you."

... I hope that she means that she'll pay me.

"I have fifty gold. How much will that cover?" I ask her.

"It will have to do... for now." she mutters. "If you ever want to step foot in here, however, you will have to pay me twenty."

"Just twenty?"

"Yes, twenty thousand." she laughs. What? What?

"There is no way that the tent cost that much." I yell.

"Sure it may not, but the things that were stolen afterwards were worth more than that much. Actually they are worth a lot less, but you owe me anyways."

...

RUN!  
I step foot out of the tent, and dart straight towards a different shop.  
I'm starting to run out of ideas already. What to-

"Help! Get this man away from me!" Huh?

I turn around to see a rather large man, a barbarian by the looks of it, chasing a woman around the square. I do have Draiotoll, right?

... Yup.

Good.

"Leave her alone!" I yell. I unsheathe Draiotoll and run towards the man.

"Or what?" he laughs. Ugh, he looks pretty menacing.

"Or you'll have to deal with me." I can probably fight, despite the injury. Even then, it's on my right arm. I'm left handed, after all.

The man laughs for a minute, before pulling out a decent-sized axe.

I rush towards him, aiming for his neck.

Just gotta get his- WHAA?!

Did he just dodge it? How is he faster than me?

Probably just luck.

I quickly climb up and turn back towards the man.

"Is that all ya got, boy?!" he taunts.

C'mon! I just have to land one hit on him!

I slash in his direction again, only to have it miss- AGAIN!

"My turn, ya runt!" he raises his axe.

What? Run! RUN! RUN! I just gotta- GAH! Now there's an axe sticking out of my arm, and not the scorched one either. Just... OW... walk it off... Agh, the pain!

I fall onto my knees, nearly in tears.

"Dawww... What's the matter? Little boy thinks he can be the hero?" the man laughs again, before kicking me in the face.

Damn... I think the blood loss is starting to kick in... I'm gonna...

I'm... gonna...

I fall to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

"Hello again, sleepyhead." ... Do you have to say that EVERY time I wake up, Jafray? That may have been clever the first time, but now it's just getting old.

"So... I passed out again." I tell myself out loud.

"Yeah, you got beaten baaaaad." Jafray laughs.

"I have some good news, and some bad news." Calina says.

"I'd prefer the good news first." I tell her.

"Well, the good news is that we had a priest heal your arm with now trouble. You'll be fine by tonight." she smiles.

"So..." I ask. "What's the bad news?"

Her smile goes away.

"The brigand stole your sword."

* * *

**Okay, another chapter done. Still, WHY NO REVIEWS? Seriously, what am I doing wrong? I have had not a single review since chapter two. Even then, it was only one.**

**I may as well add that I mentioned the story that I was originally going to upload somewhere in the story. So yeah, it WAS going to be a Kid Icarus/Fire Emblem crossover, but it's probably not going to be published.**

**Review. Please. I know for a fact that people are reading this, and I NEED some opinions and advice.**


	6. New Company

What? No, they didn't steal it. Don't joke with me.

"He couldn't have stolen i-" I quickly feel at my side for Draiotoll.

What... It... isn't... THERE!

"Yeah, he did." Jafray stares at me.

...

"I guess we will have to get it back. Does anyone in town know about where the brigand is from?" I ask them.

"Well, he isn't from here, and the only other place is an abandoned fort near here. Or at least, it WAS abandoned. People say that some brigands took residence in there. The group is called the Borderline Bandits." Borderline Bandits? That somehow sounds clever and menacing at the same time. The menacing part, I have no idea how.

Well, I guess we aren't going to the camp in the desert, which I don't mind one bit.

"There is one problem, however." Calina tells me. "You need some training with a sword." ... Of course I need that. I have no real idea why, but I always expect myself to be good with all things sword-related. Video game, or not. It's pathetic, actually.

"Sounds good to me, though it's not like I've ever used a sword before."' Maybe I can pull a Donnel and just happen to know how to use it? No- Donnel technically could already use the weapons, he just couldn't fight.

"We still have a couple of hours before we go to the tavern. We can train for now." Jafray explains.

"What? Tavern?" What for?

"That's where we're looking for mercenaries. The innkeeper says that there is a small group of mercenaries staying at the inn. Chances are, they'll be hanging at the tavern tonight." Jafray explains more. I can see the logic in that, but there's still a chance that the mercenaries are leaving today. That would be a pain, since those mercenaries are probably some of the characters in my story.

* * *

We walk into a small clearing in the forest. Obviously, they saw how terrible I was at fighting, so we decided that I should get some training from the both of them. Did I mention that both of them are a few thousand times better than me? Yeah, they have to be at least level ten.

It is then, that Jafray tosses me his sword.

"If you want to improve, we need to see your skills first." Calina says. She pulls out her blade, pointing it in my direction.

"Do you even have any armor?" I ask her. I know that my cloak has a sort of chainmail sewed into it. Yeah, it's heavy, but it provides more than enough protection.

Calina pulls up her shirt sleeve, revealing some chainmail. Good, I can take this seriously.

"On the count of three, we start," Jafray lifts up his hand.

"One..." I lift up the sword that Jafray gave me, pointing it at Calina.

"Two..." Calina grins at me, probably imagining a devious plan.

"Three!"

This can't be too-

WAUGH!

... She is pointing her sword at me neck.

"You lost already?" she put a fake look of pity on her face. "For a boy, you sure can't fight very well."

Ugh- Don't get me started.

"Honestly, I've never used a sword before. Ever." They both turn towards me, actually surprised. "What? I'm a blacksmith's son, not a warrior."

"Ugh, this is going to take longer than I thought. Hopefully this won't hurt, much." she giggles as she swings her sword at me.

* * *

Well, that could have gone worse. After about three hours, I eventually hit her a couple of times, showing that I'm actually getting some sort of improvement in there.

So now we're heading towards the inn to meet up with that mercenary group, if they are still there.

"So, do you think that we'll have enough money?" I turn towards Jafray, while walking backwards.

"Dunno. Maybe we'll get lucky and it will be cheap. We could join them too, if we want." he responds.

Calina's face brightens up. "Why not? I doubt Mom and Dad would be against it. They'd like it more than thievery."

Jafray turns towards Calina, obviously aggravated. "What were we supposed to do?! I had to feed you! Thievery was the only way, after Mom and Dad died!"

I quietly stand by them. I'm just trying not to say anything stupid. Seriously, that is another of my fatal flaws. I try to ease the mood with a joke, only to completely ruin it and make the mood even more tense.

"Forget it, Jafray." she groans. "We can talk about this later.

We set off towards the tavern, none of us talking for pretty much the entire walk. Honestly, I can easily put up with the quiet. Not too shabby, I guess.

* * *

We enter the surprisingly roomy building, and (actually not surprisingly,) it is a MESS in here. There is mostly just a few men who had gotten drunk, and a few others that are just sitting around.

"Which ones are the mercenaries?" I ask them.

"We'll have to ask, I guess." Calina explains.

Considering that I'm pretty sure I know who the people are supposed to be, I may as well just look for them. There's just two, as far as I know. Perhaps three or four, if things are different.

I only have two clues though: Gorge and Niro.

Those are both of the men that I created, technically, and I'll just have to look for the right details.

Gorge is fat, (hence the name, Gorge) while Niro is a bit tall, with long, smooth black hair. Did I ever mention that I made an Awakening play through based around Niro? Ah, of course I didn't.

No, just focus, and look.

Let's see, he has blonde ha- That's a woman... Oops..? Simple mistake.

"Excuse me, are by some chance a mercenary?" I ask a nearby man.

"Nah, I'm just a farmer." ... He looks a bit different, up close, actually.

Calina and Jafray are asking around at the other side of the building, though they don't know what they look li-

Bingo! I see a blonde-haired man over there, and someone who looks like Niro. At least, he does feature-wise. There is a third person over there too, I guess someone that I forgot about, or just never really designed.

I slowly walk towards them, stepping over small piles of drunken men. Actually, there are A LOT of guys in here. The town isn't even that big, either, Which is strange.

I slowly walk in front of their table, before asking them.

"Are you guys mercenaries, by any chance?"

All three of them turn towards me.

"Yeah, of course we-" Gorge tries to explain.

"Hold on a second, you look familiar." the third person looks over at me. Actually, he looks a bit familiar to me, as well. He actually has blonde hair similiar to Gorge's but a bit shorter and- WAIT... WAIT! I SEE IT!

"No way." he stares at me, jaw dropped far enough for me to stick Draiotoll in his mouth, if I still had it.

"Geoff." I mutter under my breath.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asks me. OH THANK YOU JEREMIAH! Of all Self-Insert cliches you could have bestowed upon me, I am so glad that you picked this one.

_No problem. _You know what? For now, I'm not mad that you struck me with lightning. It's just good that you brought my best friend here.

Actually, I'm serious. Geoff is the definition of good friend. Aside from the fact I have a lot in common with him, I'm pretty sure that if I got in a fight, he would be the first to jump in and help. And I'm not just saying that because he actually told me that before.

Calina and Jafray seem to have noticed that I've found the mercenaries, and are heading over here to check things out.

"So I'm assuming that you found them?" they both ask me.

"Yeah, but I need to talk to him for a few minutes, so can you explain to them what we are trying to do?" I point to Geoff, then drag him outside.

* * *

"Alan, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" he asks me as we get outside of everyone's hearing range.

"Geoff, I know that this sounds crazy, but we've been dropped into a story that I wrote, which conveniently happens to be in a video game." I explain.

His jaw drops farther than I thought was humanly possible. "What? That's just... Actually, I think that explains something here."

"Huh, what do you mean?" I ask him.

He stays silent for a couple of seconds, before asking me: "Has a man named Jeremiah been talking to you, too?"

...

"Any ounce of doubt that you weren't Geoff, which I had is now gone. That isn't coincidence, that's for sure." I reach over and give him a hug, which he immediately tries to escape. I've never actually hugged him before, so... Eh.

"Alan, lay off the hugs. There are people out here, you know." ... Valid Point. And I'm about as afraid of criticism as he is, or isn't. I'm not sure myself. "By the way, you look older." he tells me. Yup, stating the obvious, like always.

"Well you do too." I respond, letting go of him.

He paces around for a few seconds before finally thinking of another thing to ask me. "Why were you looking for a mercenary group, anyways?"

I'm actually prepared to ask him why he's in a mercenary group in the first place, but I'll just have to answer him first.

"Well, you remember how I said I was in a story?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm the main character of it. I was thrown into the Plegian jail... because I'm the descendant of their enemy, or something along the lines of that. Well, I happened to have a special blade that was stolen from me after a fight with a brigand, earlier. By the way, you are going to have to call me Ravel for a while."

"Hold on, that was YOU?! You were terrible at that, 'Ravel'." Geoff gets down on his knees, laughing. "You didn't even land a hit on him, let alone not get owned."

"SHADDAP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! Just, let's go inside, then- Wait, I almost forgot! Why are you in a mercenary group anyways?" I ask him.

He gets back up, acting like he never even went down. "I just woke up one day, I could fight. I just decided to join a mercenary group, and they were the only ones that would take me. It almost felt like it's what I was supposed to do." Huh. So he could fight, but I can't?

Jeremiah, explain.

_Eh, I'll do it tonight. I'm on my lunch break. _At Six o'clock? Dinner, maybe. But this? No.

"Ugh, let's go, Geoff." I walk back into the tavern, dragging Geoff with me.

* * *

After a surprisingly short conversation when we entered, we all decided to go meet up outside the fort. Apparently Calina and Jafray sorted things out relatively quickly, thus allowing us to leave in a short time.

So in other words, we've pretty much joined them, by now.

We had to grab a bit of supplies before we left, and Niro had to feed his Wyvern, Rysor. Yeah, he's a Wyvern Rider, and Gorge is a Knight.

Geoff is a mercenary, and even ended up painting his shield to look like the Hylian Shield.

Yeah, he's a LoZ fan. A pretty big one, at that. I'm actually decently surprised that he didn't become a wandering hero.

So yeah, as of now, we are all walking through the forest in order to get to the fort. It seems that we are right around the border of Ylisse and Plegia, and thus earning the nickname 'Borderline Bandits' for our enemy.

"So, are we there yet?" Jafray asks everyone.

"No, it didn't work with me, it so it won't work for you." I glare at him. "Maybe if you keep asking, you'll get struck by lightning."

Obviously, everyone had heard the story by now, so they just proceeded to try and hide their laughs.

"Gah, I'm hungry!" Gorge yells.

"Ssh! You'll give away our position, oaf!" Niro screams back at him. Apparently he is an expert in tracking, and memorizing locations, and such. As far as I know, Rysor may understand it as well as he does.

"Hey, what was that?!" I hear a few voices off in the distance.

"Dammit Gorge!" Geoff facepalms himself. "You can have food later! Now, it's time to fight!"

* * *

**Yeah, I went there. I implemented the friend being inserted cliche.**

**No harm really done though, just gives me extra plot possibilities. Also, I wrote this ENTIRE chapter in a 24 hour period.**

**Wasn't nonstop though, just done in about two/three hours. Same as yesterday's.**

**Still, NOT A SINGLE REVIEW? SERIOUSLY?**

**I'm asking myself if people are just being lazy, or are they actually trying to bother me.**

**No, this story won't be that good until I get some advice. I don't care. It could be one letter, but as long as I have something to work on, I'm fine with it.**


	7. Conspiracy

**Sorry about the late update, my laptop broke and I haven't had much access to a computer since my laptop broke.**

**And to PhantomGalaxy13, That is exactly the kind of review that I was hoping to receive. Thanks.**

**So now, I have a chapter filled with both action and character interaction. Enjoy!**

* * *

The new unofficial meme of this group is to blame everything on Gorge. Officially.

We all unsheathe our weapons, as the nearby noise gets closer.

"Has someone come to take Mother? I forbid that to ever happen!" the same voice yells.

First of all- Mother? Secondly- I have a dreadful feeling that all of the bandits in the area have been alerted to our presence by now, which seems to ruin the entire point of being stealthy.

After a few seconds, a rather bulky man emerges out of a nearby shrub. His weapon is already drawn, but that still doesn't stop him from being impaled by six different weapons. The fact that he has no protection on his chest doesn't help too much either. Nope. Not one little bit.

He tries to quickly alert his comrades, though we have already destroyed most of his vital-

What the-?! Why am I wet? I can't see either!

Okay, OWOWOWOWOW! MY EYES ARE KILLING ME!

Wait, that scent... Of course. I'm covered in HIS blood. Nope, not mine. Just some random stranger's blood.

Nyahaha! Blood!

Okay, enough of the Henry impression- Ugh... That scent is way to strong.

Gods, I think I'm gonna... Gonna-

Wait, did I just say gods? I've never even HEARD anyone say it, let alone long enough for me to pick up the speaking habit.

Hold on a second, JEEEEEERRRRREEEEEMIIIIIAAAAAAAHHHHH!

_I'm not here right now. Please send a message after the bleep. Bleeeep! _Oh HAWHAWHAW! Very funny.

"First kill, I see." I think that's Jafray. "I wouldn't worry, if I were you. It isn't usually this messy." I hear the others laugh before I feel something rubbing on my face. I think it's a cloth, but I need to be sure.

"Who is this? What are you rubbing on me?" I ask them.

"Me." That was Geoff, I'm pretty sure. "And I'm just rubbing a cloth on you. What else would it be? By the way, you may not want to puncture and artery next time."

I groan. "Do you think that I WANTED to do this? Just go ahead and tell me where the nearest place that I can vomit is." On the bright side, I can still see again, though everything is tinted red.

"Niro said that there's a lake nearby." I hear Gorge pipe up. Gods, his voice his so aggravatingly prideful.

... I said it again, didn't I? Ugh, of course I did.

* * *

I take a few more steps towards the lake, dodging the stones and vines scattered about. Seeing is hard when in complete darkness. The red tint and the pain doesn't help one bit, either.

I take a step next to the water, in which I immediately get down upon my knees and cup my hands. I splash a few handfuls of water into my eyes until the red clears out. Thankfully, it does. I then stand up, and casually vomit into the water.

It's funny because I don't remember eating anything today, yet I'm not even hungry.

"Ravel, wait up!" I hear someone yell. I'm pretty sure that it's Niro, since I hear what sounds like gusts of wind alongside it. Wyvern wings actually do sound like that, and it can be pretty quiet at times. The only reason that I can really hear it is because the night is quiet enough to where that's the only sound that I hear.

Sure enough, I turn around to see Niro and Rysor barreling in my direction.

"What is it?" I ask Niro.

"I've wanted to tell you that the others have already gone ahead into the fort." he responds. "They told us to stay out here and guard the entrance just in case someone tries to come in after them."

I can't help but find that disappointing. I was hoping for a bit of experience, so that I'm not a complete and utter weakling this entire time. Nevertheless, I'll probably get some experience regardless.

"Alright, but should I get on top of Rysor?" I ask him, "Or should I go on foot?"

"Just climb on." he smiles. "I'd prefer for you to not get slaughtered when I'm not around." With that, he takes my hand and pulls me atop the wyvern.

I still can't help but think that this is a bit uncomforta-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAUGGHHHHHHHHH!

T-that was fast... Oh no. We're up high... And I'm afraid of heights... And it takes only a small gust of wind to send me falling... to... my... death...

...

PANIC! PANIC! PANIC! BAD IDEA! BAD IDEA!

I wrap my arms around Niro, hoping desperately that I don't fall off. He'd better not get any ideas, or else... I can't think of anything.

"You do know that there's a strap for riders, right?"

... Seriously? Well, that isn't as bad.

I take the strap and buckle it around my waist, before I finally start to loosen up a bit. This actually isn't as bad as I had thought. This is kind of starting to get fun.

* * *

Surprisingly, things haven't taken a turn for the worst like they usually do. While the others haven't been back for a few hours, I'm still here with Niro. Hold on? What are those specks on the ground? Could it be?

"Enemy spotted." I announce. "Should we greet them, Sir Niro?" I make sure to use a mock-noble impression just for effect. Just so it's clear: I'm awesome with imitation. Admittedly, I'm not the best, though I am certainly not terrible at it.

"Indeed, Sir Ravel." he uses a similar fake impression, though not as good as mine. We both laugh for a minute- I swear that Rysor was also laughing- before diving towards a crowd of bandits.

I draw my weapon as we get within attacking range, after which I swing wildly- Which can be surprisingly effective when fighting a superior number.

"What the he-?!" I don't let him finish, as I decapitate him.

"Run away everyon-!" Sorry, can't let you finish either.

"We have to protect-!" No. Just no.

...

All of the men are dead. Effortlessly. I can't even comprehend how much experience that I must have just gotten. I can even feel the strength running through me, though that may just be adrenaline. Wait, is that an arm hanging out of Rysor's throat? O...kay.

"Why aren't the others back yet?"Niro asks me. I have been wondering that myself, and I just assumed that they were taking their time. Though it is about time that he had pointed it out.

"I think that we should go in after them" I tell him. "We need to make sure that they haven't died." I'm a bit afraid at how nonchalantly that I said that. I am genuinely afraid that they are dead. After all, I don't want to lose my best friend and most of the important characters this early into the story. But then again, there would still be Niro, who is awesome enough.

"I guess you are right, but I'll be forced to leave Rysor out here alone." he responds. "Not that he'll need any help, however. Wyverns can breathe fire." Wait, they can? I had always read of that in fanfictions that they could, but I just assumed that they couldn't actually do so.

* * *

"Alright, boy! Make sure that nobody goes in here after us. Got it?" Niro commands his wyvern.

Rysor lets out a small roar of content, before flying into a nearby tree.

For a supposedly vicious reptile, Rysor seems to act pretty playful.

Even then, it's almost like he is a living war machine. After all, he is a black wyvern with armor to match, which makes him blend into the darkness almost perfectly. The only way that you can even see him is by looking at his eyes, but only because they glow. Yes, you heard me right: They actually glow in the dark. I'm still a bit surprised by it myself.

With that out the way, Niro and I make our way into the fortress doorway, which is littered with the mangles corpses of slaughtered bandits. The fault of which is yours truly.

"Mother will open the eyes of all!" I hear a raspy voice cough. "Damn those that fail to see it!" I turn around to see an impaled bandit lying on the ground. A few of his organs are hanging out, and he appears to be suffering from major blood loss. Gross, but I'm less bothered by the sight then I would be earlier.

"Who is this, 'Mother'?" Niro asks the man.

"She is the darkness of the night!" he says in-between coughs. "She... Is..." he slumps dead before he can finish.

"That doesn't sound too promising, does it?" I explain to Niro.

"I know, we'll just have to be careful."

* * *

This hall is littered with corpses. Thankfully not of anyone that we know, which shows that the others may very well still be alive.

Though I will add that it feel pretty eerie in here, as if something- or someone- is watching me.

It's as if something is going to jump out at-

"Ravel!" Niro does a scream-whisper.

I jump, before responding. "What is it?"

"Look!" he points further down the hall, where there appears to be a much brighter room.

I put on an extremely exaggerated grin and turn towards him. "Shall we investigate, Sir Niro?"

He puts on a similar grin and answers with: "Indeed, Sir Ravel." With that, we draw our weapons and rush down the hallway. We pass by a few places where the hallway branches, where each are surprisingly empty. It isn't until the last branch that I final hear something.

"Ravel? Niro? Is that you?" Jafray? I think that was him.

I turn towards that hall, only to see a crouching figure in the shadows. (Yeah, convenient shade)

"Jafray?" Niro's jaw drops. "What happened? Where are the others?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he limps into the main hall and points at the main room. As he gets into the light, I can't help but notice that his leg is in bad condition, and it is leaking an obscure amount of blood. But honestly, I don't see the othe- Oh crap.

I see them now. Geoff, Gorge, and Calina are each tied down upon their knees in the center of the room, which appears to be a throne room of some kind. However, there is no throne. There is only a coffin lying in a spot where the throne would normally sit. It's as if this is a worship room of some ki...

"I think I just realized who 'Mother' is." I mutter. This isn't good. Not good at all.

Soon, a girl dressed like a Dark Knight emerges from behind the coffin. She appears to have a sort of far-out lifeless look to her, which only adds to the creepiness. She raises her hand before speaking.

"Mother has been watching you." she stares at our friends with an emotionless look. "She dislikes you. She shall purify you! Have her become one with you!" she turns towards the coffin, which begins to grow a purple hue.

Uh-oh. Not good. NOT GOOD! **NOT GOOD AT ALL!**

"Embrace the magic within her!" the girl screams. Our friends are showing clear signs of panic, and I don't see why they wouldn't.

The coffins starts to glow brighter.

"What is she-?!"

"**DON'T LOOK AT IT!**"I close my eyes and yank Niro and Jafray into the branch of the hall, just as the girl opens the coffin.

Even though my eyes are closed, I can still see the light. It's a sort of purple that manages to be bright and dark at the exact same time.

I don't know what is going on. Nor do I wish to know what is going on in there.

Thankfully, the light is starting to dim again.

"I think we can open our eyes now." Niro states. I agree. I peak open my eyes and look around. Nothing appears to have changed, though we haven't looked in the other room yet. Though I will admit that what occurred in there weas like something from a horror movie. It was frightening, without a doubt. What has become of the others? Have they died? Are they possessed? I guess that there is only one way to find out.

I climb up and peak out of the doorway, and the other two do the same.

Geoff, Gorge, and Calina have all fallen unconscious-

Nevermind, they are getting up.

"Mother." they each mutter.

This sends Jafray into a frenzy. "Calina!" he screams. he climbs up and limps towards Calina's emotionless body. The blood loss appears to be getting worse, which may not end- Shit. He just fell.

Niro and I climb up and run to his aid, ignoring our possessed friends for the time-being.

"More intruders?" the dark knight deadpans. "Mother shall cleanse you as well!" she pulls out a dark tome, pointing it in our direction. Our possessed friends do the same, thus surrounding the three of us. Two, if you don't count Jafray. He is showing now signs of getting up any time soon.

Hold up- There's another person in this bunch.

Could it be? It's the person that took Draiotoll in the first place. He's still the same barbarian; brown hair, muscular, but now that I look, he seems to have the emotionless stare as well.

... Why would these people rob the town, if they are simply possessed? Are they looking for something- or...

"This isn't good." Niro interrupts. He grits his teeth and shivers, all while clutching his axe. I can feel myself shaking as well. What can we do? We're surrounded by our own friends, all because... of.. the... coffin...

Wait a second, the coffin!

"I think I have an idea!" I turn towards Niro. "Distract them!" He looks confused for a second, until the words finally sink in. He pushes the crowd a bit, which gives me just enough space to slip away.

I have a strong feeling that the coffin just has to be the source of power. It simply seems logical to me.

I step up next to the coffin, and-

OWOWOWOWOW! Why am I on the ground? Why am I in pain? No! NO!

The girl approaches me, her tome open and her palm raised. Dark energy is radiating from between her fingers, threatening to blast me to pieces.

"You are no longer worthy of her blessing." the girl mutters. "The time of judgment is nigh!"

Instead of using her tome, the girl pulls out a sword.

Hold on... Draiotoll?! Why does she have that?!

"Ravel. Descendent of the general. May your soul be stolen by your own blade!" she yells.

She lifts up the blade and points it straight towards my chest.

Why does it have to end like this? What did I do wrong? I close my eyes and brace myself, hoping for a quick and painless death.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, cliffhanger. I did it, alright.**

**Admittedly, I'm still questioning why I chose to have the possession thing occur, anyways.**

**At first, it was going to be a simple bandit fight, but then I got the idea of having someone possess them.**

**You can see where the idea went from there.**

**Anyways, I'll be making corrections to some of the... obvious... errors that I had made in earlier chapters. (I'm not naming any in particular, mainly because there are so many.)**

**Anyways, please Review. I'm not going to beg this time.**


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